Adjustable shoe-tree.



W- A. 6: A. E. KILRAIN.

ADJUSTABLE SHOE TREE.

APPLICATION FILED IIAY 21. 1912.

Patented July 20, 1915.

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UNITED l- PATENT QFFIC WALTER A. minaret AND ANNIE E. KILRAIN, 's EAST CLEVELAND, omo, ASSIGNORS,

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '10 JOHN S. PATTERSON, OF BITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ADJUSTABLE SHOE-TREE.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented July 20, 1915.

Application filed May 27, 1912. Serial No. 699,940.

T all 21-7: m'z't may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER A. Kinnam provide means for stretching a shoe upper at any particular point, as at the location of a corn or bunion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which can be taken apart and packed in small space while being transported.

The device is capable of attachment to a wall or other support, so as to hold it in convenient position for use. and is adjustable to receive shoes of different sizes.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a front view of the attached bracket.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the upper end of the' supporting arm. Fig. 4 shows details of a device for local stretching. Fig. 5 is a detail in side view, partially in section, of a modification.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates the toe or front part of the tree or last. This has a slot 7 at the back to receive the shank 9 to which it is attached by a. cross pin 8 passing through the part 6, which can be swung up on said pin as a pivot when desired. At its rear end the shank is hinged to an arm 13, by means of a pin 12, which may be placed in any one of a series of holes 11 to vary the length of the shank and adjust the tree to shoes of different sizes. At its lower end the arm 13 is provided with a shaped heel portion 23 adapted to fit into the heel of a shoe on the tree. The shank 9 is supported by means of a lever or link 14 which is pivoted to the arm 13 and has a hooked projection or finger 15 which engages in one of the serrations, teeth or note es 10 in the lower edge of the shank 9.

The arm-13 is connected at its upper end to a bracket or plate 17 which has a slotted portion 18, the extended end of the arm being tapered as shown at 16, and fitting in the slotted portion of the bracket 17, and holding the arm and tree in extended position from the wall or other support to which the bracket will be attached.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5 the arm 13, instead of being made in one piece as in Fig. 1, is made of two pieces connected by a screw and nut 21. This is for the purpose of permitting the separation of the sections in order to pack the device in small compass.

In the use of the device. the toe part i is entered into the shoe. with the shank 9 swung down as far as necessary. and the back portion of the shoe is slipped onto the heel form or member 23. The toe part and shank 9 are then swung up on the pin 12 as a pivot until the shoe is stretched tightly, and the link 14 is then engaged in the ap propriate notch to hold the parts in that position. The shoe may then remain on the. tree as long as necessary. Bv removing the pin 12, and lifting the arm 13 from the slot 18, the parts can be packed closely together for shipment or transportation.

It is sometimes necessary to stretch a shoe at a particular point. to ease a corn or bunion. For this purpose we provide a headed plug 22 which can be inserted in any one of a number of holes 24 in the toe part these holes being located at positions corresponding to ordinary corns. Then when the shoe is tightened on the tree the plug 22 will stretch the shoe at the desired place.

The device will be found particularly useful for holding a shoe while it is being polished, and the bracket attachment for the tree enables it to be supported in a position high enough to be convenient for this operation.

To release the shoe from the tree the link 14: is disengaged, allowing the toe to drop and the shoe to he slipped oil.

The holes 24, when the plugs 22 are not used. also serve the purpose of affording ventilation to the interior of the toe part of the shoe.

We claim:

A shoe tree comprising a toe member. a heel member, a horizontally disposed shank platepivotally connecting the toe and heel ofthe shank plate for holding the toe and members, said shank plate llaiingnotches heel members in adjusted position.

in its lower edge, an 11 wardly extending In testimony whereof, we do affix our arm formed on the hee member, a single signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

O lever PlVOtBd' at one terminal to the said A arm and arranged to extend at its other ANNIE E K terminal downwardly along one side of the shank plate, and a laterally extendin fin- \Vitnes ses: ger formed on the free end of the lever, JOHN A. BOMMHARDT,

10 said finger being engageable in the notches HARRY L- RICHEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G." 

